Withering
by xFallenChanx
Summary: Ino and Sakura wonder if beauty is really worth losing so much./SakuIno/Request for Mythic Evil/By Mara/


Pairing: Sakura/Ino  
Requested By: Mythic Evil  
Written By: Mara  
Extra Note: ANGST

Withering

To realize what she was in the first place. That, in itself, was troublesome for Ino. Let alone discovering what _Sakura Haruno_ was, while living with the fact Sakura had left her behind.

Ino stood behind the counter of the flower shop, her elbows propped on the front counter, not busy as she usually was, due to the lack of costumers. Usually there was a long trickling line up to her each day, with men and women eagerly waiting for their perfectly packaged bunch of roses or lilies. So much symbolism, so much beauty. All gone to waste, this day, as Ino just stood and thought to herself distractedly.

Thinking. She'd been doing a lot of that lately.

When she'd first realized how beautiful Sakura really was, it was a peaceful, almost satisfying discovery. A cherry blossom. A bud that had finally bloomed into something gorgeous and successful. Working under Tsunade-sama herself, able to destroy a member of the Akatsuki and get away with her life.

Ino, she had bloomed early. She had been proud of that fact. She was strong, beautiful, and confident, right from the start, and she had been the one that _created _Sakura.

But now, it was all turning around. Why was Sakura stronger than her? Why had Sakura bloomed, though late, into something so much lovelier than Ino? Now, _she_ was the one teaching _Ino_. _She _was the one Sasuke had thanked. _She_ was the one, always…

It was always her…

It was always _about _her…

Ino's elbow slipped on the counter, and she righted herself with a start, bangs flopping over her left eye. Her hand on the wood quivered just a bit, and she stood there lopsidedly, eyes wide, staring down at her fingers.

Ino had bloomed early. And as a cause of that, she had started to die early. She was no longer the one always a step ahead of Sakura. She was no longer the one that was Sakura's equal. She had been surpassed, and now she was so weak it was getting hard to accept that fact.

What in the world were they? The symbols of flowers in the Shinobi life? But sooner or later, all of them had to wither away into what they were meant to be, didn't they? Stems, with drying petals drooping off of their very cores. Shriveling up. Turning into chefs, and farmers, and…meager workers at a family-run flower shop, while the others sprouted for something much more meaningful than them, reaching their heads up to the sun and the rain to get even prettier.

Ino closed her eyes. Sakura chasing after Sasuke. Sakura admiring Naruto. Sakura respecting Lee.

Ino knew. She knew now, that she had died long ago, and the beautiful woman her heart lurched for no longer looked up to her.

Sakura Haruno was looking for something much more beautiful than Ino Yamanaka.

--

_One…_

_Two…_

_Three…_

Sakura counted the cherry blossoms falling from her bedroom window. Just wondering. Wondering about her companions. Her past, her present. Her future was just something empty to her now, though. Something predictable.

Where was Naruto? Probably training. As usual. He never stopped.

Where was Sai? Perhaps out and about, meeting new people. It was a hobby of his.

Where was Sasuke? Gone. Not here.

She smiled grimly.

_Four…_

Sasuke Uchiha. The boy she had challenged Ino for.

She wished the competitive streak was back. More than she wanted their friendship to return, she wanted their arguments, their races, their fights, all of what they used to have. Even more than she wanted Sasuke. At least Ino was a start. At least Ino would be getting somewhere.

It was just the feeling of knowing. Knowing there _was_ something to fight for. Not just Sasuke. No, it had never been just Sasuke. There was always the sense that she wanted to show Ino who she was. She wanted Ino to look up to her.

But things had gotten out of hand.

Sakura had succeeded. It was obvious Ino looked up to her now. But now, they were more distanced than ever.

Sakura felt _too_ powerful, and of course with power came pain, and this was it; losing Ino. Losing the fights. Losing the adrenaline.

What was there to do, now? Why was she training? What used to be something honorable now seemed like mindless following. She was a flower that only grew in the spot it was placed.

_Five…_

She never moved. The sunlight could only reach her _here_. There was no point in trying to get out of her way of life, or she'd fail miserably. She just had to keep going along the path she was dropped in front of from the beginning. It was how to be beautiful.

Ino had been her one chance to escape. To stray away from her pointless plotting of galloping after Sasuke like a hopeless baby calf. Ino could have helped her. Ino showed her freedom.

She'd given her a gift, and Sakura had thrown it back in her face.

Because it was beautiful.

_Six…_

Sakura's smile stayed, but inside she felt like she was falling apart.

What was so beautiful about this?

--

Author's Note: I hope you enjoyed, Mythic Evil. I'm sorry it was so short. Oh, and I just noticed; what is it with me and the letter 'w' on here? :P  
- mara


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